Mailing device



My 17, 1938. s. J. BrENsTocK A 2,117,539

MAILING DEVICE Filed July 6, 1956 i l .l A i I C1 f y rlc. I f

` YE wann' ro um: ADVANTM. S oFYouR smmwm wmf JOHN DOE CO.

:2o- STREET J5 4u.s.A.

IPJLEASE. SEND E FOLLOWING JOHN ooe co. ?4

120- STREET U.S.A. -POSTAGE wm Br. Pmp,

RIC ARD ROE. T BOSTON U.S.A.

/ l .--w f2? 23 ATTORNEY Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAILING DEVICE VSamuel Bienstock, Bronx, N. Y.

Application July 6, 1936, Serial No. 88,956

2 Claims. (Cl. 22S-92.8)

The present invention relates to mailing devices and. enclosures and particularly relates to blotter, return post card and envelope devices, in which the name of the addressee or prospective cus- 5 tomer is carried upon a detachable return post card associated with the blotter or other enclosure and envelope and mayv appear through a window in the envelope to serve as an address for the entire device and enable said device to be carried to its destination.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved combination of the character described in which the return post card may be positively and most readily associated With the mailing enclosure by a relatively inexpensive assembly method with great speed by unskilled labor and in which assurance will further be had that the reply post card will be accurately located in respect tothe blotter or other enclosure and by the blotter or other enclosure in respect to the window of the envelope without the possibility of the card sliding out of position before or after insertion in the envelope cr during mailing.

Another object is to provide a combination mailing piece of the character described in which the return post card may be readily assembled with the blotter or other enclosure and in which the blotter or other enclosure -may be conveniently assembled with the window envelope with a minimum of difliculty and with assurance of proper relative positioning even though unskilled labor be employed, with the assurance that when the blotter is received in the envelope and removed by the addressee or recipient, that the card will be in a conspicuous position where the attention of the addressee will be called to it, assuring ready removal of the post card, which removal will not result in a defacement or olestruction of the blotter, nor in an exposure of the blotter stock through the face of the blotter.

Another object is to provide an improved blotter-return post card of the character before described, in which the envelope, and blotter will cooperate to hold the post card in position with 45 assurance, that there will be proper alignment and coincidence between the address upon the post card and the window on the envelope.

Another object is to provide an improved blotter-envelope-return post card of the character 50 above described which it will be possible to make by standard printing and cutting operations without the necessity of resorting to expensive operations, substantially increasing the cost of the return post card blotter.

55 Other objects will be obvious or will appear during the course of the following specication.

In accomplishing the above objects according to one embodiment of the present invention, it has been found most satisfactory to provide a blotter of the usual construction, the face of which however is so slit and partially detached from the blotter absorbent back that the card may not only be most readily inserted, but will also automatically position itself with the desired forwarding address correctly located both lateral ly and longitudinally of the blotter.

In the preferred construction, the blotter face is slit along lines substantially removed from both its upper and lower edges and its side edges. The slits may first extend vertically to receive the width of the card and then longitudinally to receive the length of the card, While exposing the forwarding address which appears on the rear of the post card. At the termination or the ends of the slits, the post card will be stop-pcd by the stock of the calendered face.

If desired, according to an alternative embodiment, a tongue may be provided to t under the inserted edge of the card, which tongue will serve as a stop to limit its insertion, the various slits otherwise cooperating to position the card properly in respect to the blotter face.

In these embodiments the envelope most conveniently cooperates with the post card to hold the same in position iiat against the blotter when the envelope containing said blotter is being mailed to the recipient or addressee.

When the blotter is subsequently removed from the envelope, the post card will force itself upon the attention of the recipient by its loose connection to the blotter construction.

In all of these constructions the slits are so positioned not only to automatically position the card, but also to enable ready insertion of the card and subsequent removal of the card without deformation or distortion of the blotter and without any or undue exposure of the blotter back thereof.

In the drawing, which illustrates several of the various possible embodiments of the present in- L:

Vention, by way of illustration, but not by way of limitation, since many alterations and modifications may be made all within the scope of the invention and without departing from the spirit thereof;

Fig. l is a plan view of the combination according to the present application, the blotter with associated return post card being enclosed in the envelope;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view of the blotter removed from the envelope of Fig. 1, with the post card in position in the blotter and with portions of the facing of the blotter and of the post card being broken away to sho-w the structure more clearly;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the return post card removed from the blotter of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front View of said return post card;

Figs. 5 and Gare respectively, fragmentary longitudinal sectional views upon the lines 5-5 and 6 6 of Fig. 2 upon a somewhat enlarged scale to indicate the relative positioning of the return post card, the facing and absorbent backings of the blotter;

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional view upon Ythe line 'I-'I of Fig. 2 illustrating the positioning of the post card in the combination with the blotter upon a slightly enlarged scale;

Fig. 8 shows a front view or plan view similar to Fig. 2 of another embodiment with'the post card in' position, portions of the post card being part-ly broken away to better show the construction of the blotter;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view upon the line 9-9 of Fig. 8, upon an enlarged scale.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, the envelope A receives the blotter B, which in turnv carries the return post card C.

The blotter is provided with the non-absorbent face D and with the absorbent backing E.

As shown in Fig. 1 the envelope A may be provided with a window III, which is positioned to the right of the envelope, the closing ap of the envelope being to the rear and not being shown.

The blotter back E may be of conventional size and construction and die cut in the usual manner, but the face is slit as best indicated in Fig. 2. The vertical slits II begin at I2 and extend apart just slightly greater than the width I3 of the post card, see Figs. 3 and 4.

The vertical slits II, as they approach each other, turn as indicated at I4 into the horizontal slits I5, which slits I5 are spaced apart sufficiently to permit exposure of the address I@ of the envelope A or the signature of the post card as best shown in Fig. 3. The slits I5 continue and terminate at the points II, the distance between the points I'I` and the slits II being substantially lessthan the length of the post card as indicated bythe dimension I8 in Fig. 4.

The facing D has been particularly broken away as indicated at I 9 to show the blotter, while the post card has been particularly broken away as indicated at 20 to show the shape and character of the slit I I.

By the arrangement of the slits II and I5, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper and lower edges 2I and 22-of the post card will be aligned while the inside edge 23 will be stopped by the ends of the slits I1 at its inside edge 23. The outside edge 2d will project beyond the slits II as best shown in Fig. 2, so that the post card may be readily grasped by the recipient and removed from the blotter.

As indicated in Fig. 2 the post card C, when inserted, will lie under the flaps 25 and over the portion 26 of the face D, (see also Fig. 5).

Because of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, it is only necessary to adhesively connect the blotter back E to the blotter face D along the edges as indicated at 21 and 28, the card being readily inserted and quickly grasped without the necessity of forming a pocket by adhesive attachment of the face D and the backing E in the space around said post card D, when the post card has been inserted to its fullest extent.

The space 29 and the flaps 25 may carry an advertising message as may also the portion 26 of the face D uncovered by the return post card C, when it is removed from below the flaps 25.

As shown in Fig. 3, the post card contains sufficient space at 3D to enable a suitable message to be written to the mailer or addressor of the envelope A. The front of the post card, as indicated at Fig. 4, receives the address of said advertiser at 3i and also may receive the usual prepaid permit markings 32 and 33, permitting the post card to be mailed back at the expense of the advertiser, addressor or mailer.

It is apparent from Fig. 2 that the applicant has provided an'improved return post card blotter combination B--C adapted to cooperate with an envelope A with assurance that the return post card will be properly located and will coincide with the opening of the window I0. At the same time assurance will be had that the post card C will be called to the attention of the, recipient by reason of the outwardly projecting portion 34 thereof, which portion 34 enables convenient gripping of the postcard and removal thereof by the addressee or recipient.

In addition the removal of the post card C will not damage or injure the blotter face I2 and will not cause exposure of the blotter back E therethrough. In assembly the girl, or other assembling operator may readily grasp the post cards C adjacent their edge 24 and by the portion 34 and insert them through the slits II until they are stopped by the ends I'I of the slits I5 as indicated in Fig. 2. It is not necessary to measure the position of the card or carefully align the return post card. When the return post cards are inserted, as may be determined by speedy inspection, they will be in proper position.

In Figs. 8 and 9 is disclosed a slightly diiferent form in which similarly functioning parts are indicated by the same numerals primed.

In this embodiment the portion of the blotter face D between the lines I5 and 35 is cut out. This gives a less advantageous construction than shown in Figs. 2 to '7, since the portion 36 of the blotter face D' is removed exposing the blotter back E which may be suitably imprinted or decorated when exposed when the card C is removed.

The flap 31 in this construction projects into the space 36 and may be cut out together with the cut out portion 36 and its ends I'Icooperate with post' card C in being inserted into the blotter beneath the flaps 25 to stop and limit the insertion of said post card C.

As indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, the flap 3l is adapted to underlie the post card C when inserted to its full depths. The construction as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 may be utilized in connection with the envelope A as shown in Fig. 1.

Instead of a post card other return mailing devices may be utilized and instead of a blotter, other enclosures for vmndow envelopes may be employed. These enclosures should preferably be multi-ply with a pocket being formed between the two upper-most plies by cutting or slitting said uppermost ply, said pocket receiving the sides of said devices and exposing an elongated strip at the back of said devices where the name and address of recipient or addressee is placed. The edges of the pocket should contact the top, bottom and inside edges of the device or post card to correctly position it when inserted by the assembler, so that the post card or device will not cant, move or fall out of position during handling, inserton into a window envelope or mailing.

The invention however is not intended to be restricted to any particular construction or arrangement of parts, or to any particular method of operation or manner of use, or to any of the various details thereof, herein shown and described, as the same may be modied in various particulars or may be applied in many varied Ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. The practical embodiments herein illustrated are described merely as showing some of the various features entering into the application of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mailing device combination, an envelope to be mailed out by the addressor or advertiser provided with a window and a sealing flap, an enclosure to be placed in said envelope of slightly less width and slightly less length than said envelope, said enclosure carrying an advertising message from the advertiser or addressor to the addressee or prospective customer, a return mailing device of substantially smaller width and length than said envelope and said enclosure, removably associated with said enclosure and positioned in Dart between the face of said enclosure and the window of said envelope, and in part in back of said enclosure, the back of said return mailing device carrying the name and address of the addressee or customer and being positioned by reason of its detachable connection in respect to the enclosure, so that the name and address of the addressee or prospective customer will coincide with and be visible through the window of said envelope, the face of said return mailing device carrying the name and address of the addressor or advertiser, and said last mentioned face being positioned next to and against the body of the enclosure, one end of said return mailing device being removably connected by insertion in a pocket to said enclosure, said enclosure being multi-ply and said pocket being formed between the uppermost ply and the next to the uppermost ply, said uppermost ply being provided with two vertical slits parallel and adjacent to one side edge of said enclosure and starting adjacent to the upper and lower edges of said enclosure and extending toward each other, the ends of said slits being spaced vertically slightly more than the height of said return device, said slits turning longitudinally when they approach each other sufciently so that they are separated by a distance sufficient to expose the name and address of the addressee on the back of the device, said slits then continuing longitudinally of the enclosure parallel to the upper and lower edges of said enclosure, a distance equal to the major portion of the length of said return device and then terminating, the return device being inserted face down through said vertical slits under the naps formed by said longitudinal and vertical slits and the inserted end of said device being stopped by the ends of said horizontal slits, the other end oi the post card which is not stopped projecting substantially beyond said vertical slits and overlying the face of the enclosure between said vertical slits and the edge of said enclosure whereby it can be readily grasped and removed by the addressee.

2. A combination mailing device comprising a window envelope, a blotter with a face and absorbent back to be tted into said envelope and a post card carried by said blotter and carrying a name and address on its rear face, said address upon the rear face appearing through a window of said envelope, a corner of the post card being inserted between the face and absorbent back and the portion carrying the address not being so inserted and overlying the face, said face being provided with two angular slits to permit such insertion, said angular slits having vertical portions extending towards each other parallel to the end of the blotter receiving the post card and having horizontal portions extending parallelly to each other and perpendicularly to the end of the blotter receiving the post card, said parallel portions having a length substantially equal to but slightly less than the length of the post card and the ends of said parallel portions contacting the inside end of the post card at spaced points on its inside vertical edge, the spacing between said parallel portions being such as to leave suicient space fon a name and address to match the window of the envelope, and the ends of said vertical portions being spaced from each other substantially the same distance as the height of the post card and contacting the upper and lower longitudinal edges of the post card adjacent the outer vertical edge of the post card.

SAMUEL J. BIENSTOCK. 

